Can you kindly explain 2 Peter, chapter 1 please?

The author of this book is undeniably Simon Peter as he begins by stating his name and his position. 2 Peter 1:1 says, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This book was written around 66 A.D., about six years after the writing of 1 Peter. The intended audience for Peter’s 2nd letter is “them that have obtained like precious faith with us.” So, this book is written for all who believe, down through the ages. If you are a believer on the Lord Jesus, this book is written for you, for all believers are partakers of this “common faith” (Titus 1:4).

This chapter can be divided into three parts:

GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISIONS IN CHRIST (verses 1-4). Let’s consider these wonderful provisions outlined in this book. We have like precious faith (verse 1). We have grace and peace multiplied to us (verse 2). We are given things that pertain unto life and godliness (verse 3). We have been made partakers of the divine nature (verse 4). The Apostle James wrote in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” What gracious gifts we have been given so that we might enjoy our savior and represent Him in the world.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIVINE NATURE (verses 5-11). While all believers share in that “like precious faith”, we are to ADD to our faith as we are told in verses5-7, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” It is with all diligence (meticulousness, carefulness) that we are able to do this. Seven things are to be added to our faith: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity (love). These are like building blocks, each one being added to the previous one. In verse 10, we are instructed to “make your calling and election sure.” Surely, our calling and election is sure in Christ, however the Lord would have us walk in the assurance of who we are and what we have in Christ.

THE PROMISES OF PROPHESY (verses 12-21). The Apostle Peter knew that his death was imminent. He writes in verse 14, “Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” Having spoken of the coming kingdom of Christ, his desire was to ‘stir up’ our remembrance, so that after his death, all these things given in this chapter would be remembered. In verses 17-18 he writes, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” He is here speaking of that glorious time when he, along with James and John were witnesses to the Lord’s transfiguration. The Lord had instructed His disciples not to mention His transfiguration until after His death and resurrection (read Matthew 17:9), so Peter waits until 66 A.D. to write about it. Peter then ends this chapter by assuring us of the authority of the Word of God. He writes in verses 20-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The Lord had previously told Peter that he would die a martyr’s death. We read these words of Christ to Peter in John 21:18-19, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God.” In a year or two after the writing of this epistle, it is believed that Peter was killed by orders of King Nero. He was to be crucified, but didn’t think that he was worthy of the same death that his savior died, so he requested to be crucified upside down. This is traditional thought because the scriptures do not tell us when and how Peter died. (283.4)